You are currently viewing LQ as a guest. By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics, receive our newsletter, use the advanced search, subscribe to threads and access many other special features. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today!

Note that registered members see fewer ads, and ContentLink is completely disabled once you log in.

If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us. If you need to reset your password, click here.

Having a problem logging in? Please visit this page to clear all LQ-related cookies.

Introduction to Linux - A Hands on Guide

This guide was created as an overview of the Linux Operating System, geared toward new users as an exploration tour and getting started guide, with exercises at the end of each chapter.
For more advanced trainees it can be a desktop reference, and a collection of the base knowledge needed to proceed with system and network administration. This book contains many real life examples derived from the author's experience as a Linux system and network administrator, trainer and consultant. They hope these examples will help you to get a better understanding of the Linux system and that you feel encouraged to try out things on your own.

This might be a silly question, but I have to ask because it's driving me crazy.

I set my screen resolution to 1024x768 @ 75hz using the XFCE display manager. In addition I have all of my available screen resolutions set up in my xorg.conf file using modelines.

For some reason, when I type startx XFCE briefly starts up in 1280x860 or something before quickly changing to my chosen 1024x768 while the splash screen is displayed.

I am under the assumption that XFCE pulls the available modelines from xorg.conf but I may be wrong. I even tried making the 1024x768 the first choice under the relevant modeline in xorg.conf but that didn't help.

Modes "mode-name" ...
This optional entry specifies the list of video modes to use.
Each mode-name specified must be in double quotes. They must
correspond to those specified or referenced in the appropriate
Monitor section (including implicitly referenced built-in VESA
standard -modes). The server will delete modes from this list
which don't satisfy various requirements. The first valid mode
in this list will be the default display mode for startup. The
list of valid modes is converted internally into a circular
list. It is possible to switch to the next mode with
Ctrl+Alt+Keypad-Plus and to the previous mode with Ctrl+Alt+Key‐
pad-Minus. When this entry is omitted, the valid modes refer‐
enced by the appropriate Monitor section will be used. If the
Monitor section contains no modes, then the selection will be
taken from the built-in VESA standard modes.

So X should start with the first valid resolution in the Modes line. Maybe you are editing the wrong line? There may be more than one.

After that, the desktop manager may change the resolution using the Randr X extension to something else. See the manpage for xrandr.

Last edited by rg3; 04-01-2009 at 01:00 PM.
Reason: [code] instead of [quote]

Ok I installed the xrandr package and added the line suggested to my .xinitrc and it worked.

This still seems like a workaround to me rather than a solution. Thanks to you adriv for solving the problem for me, but if anyone in the know can explain why this is necessary I would like to know for my own sanity.